Folding mechanism.



No. 664,583. Patented Dec. 25, I900.

0. RUESEN. FULDING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Jan. 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oSCAR RoEsE on NEW YoRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO ROBERT HOE AND CHARLES W. CARPENTER, oE sAME PLACE.

FOLDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,583, dated December25, 1900.

' Ap licatiunfilediianuary22,1900. Serial No. 2,246. (No model.)

To ail whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR RoEsEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Mechanisms,fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings,

forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the folding devices ofprinting-machines.

Fast rotary printing-machines as now generally constructed usuallyemploy a rotating folding-cylinder which is provided withfolding-blades, sheet-taking devices, and one member of a cuttingdevice, the sheet-taking devices operating to seize the leading end ofthe web and advance it agiven distance, after which the cutting deviceoperates to out a sheet and the folding-0E devices operate to fold thesheet off the cylinder. It sometimes occurs, however, that the cuttingdevice fails to operate for various reasons, a common reason being thatthe grooved vcuttingblock which usually forms one member of the. cuttingdevice becomes worn. When the cutting device fails to operate, since thecylinder is rotated at a very rapid rate, the web is liable to becomewound around the foldingcylinder instead of being folded off, thusinjuring the machine. Furthermore,when a product of associated webs orsheets which has been given one fold is given a fold by thefolding-cylinder which is transverse to the fold it has already receivedit frequently happens that the product willnot be squarely and trulyfolded. This may be due to inaccuracy in setting the folding-blade andfolding-rollers or to the fact that the free edges of the associatedsheets are more pliable and fold more readily than the creased edge, orto other reasons.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide means to cooperatewith the foldingcylinder to prevent a sheet or web frombe: ing carriedaround the cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide means which will operateon the leading edge of a folded sheet or web which is to receive atransverse fold from a folding-cylinder in such a way as to prevent theproduct from being folded out of true.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainconstructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations, aswill be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in theclaims hereunto appended.

' In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts,Figure l is a frontview of a foldingcylinder of ordinary construction,the improved device being shown in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is avertical cross-section of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail elevation of one of the parts of the I cutting device.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, 1 indicates a folding-cylinder of ordinary construction, saidcylinder being mounted on a shaft 2. The cylinder is provided with anyusual form of folding devices, the devices in this instance being shownas rotating blades 3, which cooperate with the usual folding-0E rollers4. The cylinder is further provided with any usual form of sheet-takingdevices. In the construction shown these devices consist of ordinarypins 5, said pins being thrown outward by springs 6, operating on rods7, and being thrown inward by arms 8, connected to the pin-shafts 9,said arms coming in contact during the rotation of the cylinder with thecam 10. The cylinder is also provided with one member of a cuttingdevice, preferably a grooved cutting-block 11. This cuttingblock ispreferably provided with grooves 12, which are transverse to itscutting-groove, the purpose of which will be hereinafter stated. Theknife 13, which forms the other member of the cutting device, is mountedon the usual cooperating cylinder 14.

Suitable devices are provided to prevent the web from being carriedaround the cylinder should the cutting device fail to operate or shouldthe folding-off device fail to throw the sheet off the cylinder. Whilethese devices may be varied considerably in construction, theypreferably consist of a scraping blade 15, said blade being providedwith operating-prongs 16, which are arranged to run close to thecircumference of the cylinder a The blade 15 is secured to asupportingbracket 17 in any suitable manner, as by screws 18, which passthrough adjusting-slots 19 in the blade. The grooves 12 in the cuttingblock are so arranged as to register with the prongs 16 as the cylinderrevolves. These grooves in the cutting-block therefore permit thescraping-pron gs to be arranged closelyto the cylinder, and if a sheetis not folded off for any reason its leading edge will be caught by theprongs and prevented from being wound around the cylinder. The bracket17 also carries a sheet-stopping device, the purpose of which is to actupon the edge of a product which is to be given a transverse fold bythecylinder in such a way as to enable it to be truly folded. While thisdevice may be variously constructed, it will preferably consist of twoadjustable fingers 20, said fingers being adjustably secured to thebracket in any suitable manner, as by screws 21, which pass throughslots 22 in the fingers, these fingers being so located as to be struckby the leading edge of the product.

It is to be of course understood thatthe sheet-stopping device and thescraping device hereinbefore described are so located as not to operateupon the material to be folded by the cylinder until after thesheet-taking devices which control its leading edge let go. In otherwords, if the sheet-taking devices are pins the pins will be withdrawnfrom the leading edge of the-product before it comes in contact with thescraping device or the stopping device. With the stopping deviceconstructed and operating as shown, it will be seen that if the foldingmechanism is not producing a'truly-folded product one or the other ofthe stops can be adjusted so as to retard one of the sides of theproduct, thus correcting the inequality in the fold.

The construction by which the invention is carried into effectmay beconsiderably varied. It is to be understood, therefore, that theinvention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown anddescribed.

What'is claimed is p 1. The combination with a pair of cuttingcylinders,one of which is provided with folding-off devices and with means fortaking the leading edge of a Web, of means cooperating with saidcylinder and operating upon the leading edge of the web to prevent thematerial to be folded from being carried around the cylinder,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pair of cuttingcylinders, one of which isprovided with a folding-blade and devices for taking the leading edge ofa web, of a pair of rollers with which the folding-blade cooperates, andmeans cooperating with said cylinder and prevent the material to befolded from being carried around the cylinder; substantially asdescribed.

3, The combination with a pair of cuttingcylinders, one of which isprovided with foldtheleadingedge of a web, of a scraping blade locatednear the path of rotation of the cylinder and serving to prevent the webfrom being carried around the cylinder, substantially as described.

cylinders one of which is provided with a folding-blade and with meansfor taking the leading edge of a web, of a pair of rollers with whichthe folding-blade cooperates, and a scraping-blade located near the pathof rothe Web from being -carried around the cylinder.

5. The combination with apair of cuttingcylinders, one of which isprovided with folding-off devices and with means for taking theleadingedge of a web, of a stationary scraping-blade located near thepath of rotation of the cylinder and serving to prevent the web frombeing carried around the cylinder, and means for adjusting the blade,substantially as described.

6. The combination with a pair of cutting cylinders, one of which isprovided with a folding-blade and with means for taking the leading edgeof a web, of a pair of rollers with which said blade cooperates, astationary scraping-blade located near the path of rotation of thecylinder and serving to prevent theweb from being carried around thecylinder, and means for adjusting the blade.

7. The combination with a cylinder carrying folding-01f devices, and oneof the coopcrating members .of a cutting device, said member beinggrooved, of a scraping-blade having a series of points, the grooves ofthe cutting member being, arranged to register with the points ofthescraping-blade as the cylinder revolves, substantially as described.

8; The combination with a cylinder having sheet-taking devices andfolding-off devices, of a stop with which the leading edge of theproduct comes in contact after it has-been released by the sheet-takingdevices, substantially as described. I

9. The combination with a cylinder having sheet-taking devices andfolding-01f devices, of an adjustable stop with which the leading edgeof the product comes in contact after it has been released by thesheet-taking devices, substantially as described. 7

10. The combination with a cylinder having sheet-taking devices,folding-off devices and one member of a cutting device, of ascraping-blade for preventing the product from being carried around thecylinder, and a stop for the leading edge of the product, substantiallyas described.

acting upon the leading edge of the web to cylinder hav- 11. Thecombination with a tation of the cylinder and serving to preventing-oftdevices and with means for taking J. The combination with a pairof cutting- I ing sheet-taking devices, folding-off devices my hand inthe presence of two subscribing and one member of a cutting device, ofan Witnesses. adjustable scraping-blade for preventing" the I productfrom being carried around the cyl- OSCAR ROESEN' 5 inder, and anadjustable stop, substantially Witnesses:

as described. OTTO L. RAABE,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set HENRY S. MOUNT.

